Ottawa May Lose Possibility Of An Outdoor Game

The dream of having an NHL game played outdoors on Parliament Hill in Ottawa could be pulled altogether.

The proposed Parliament Hill game that was struck down by the Canadian government earlier this month, now has the NHL reportedly considering other markets for the next outdoor game. The department of Canadian Heritage suggested that logistics and security would be challenges for holding an outdoor game.

The Ottawa Senators had hoped to host a game on the hill in 2017 in conjunction with the team’s 25th anniversary, the 100th anniversary of the NHL, and Canada’s 150th birthday. The Montreal Canadiens could swoop in and potentially host an outdoor game as NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, is looking into having an outdoor game on Founders Day in 2017. Montreal is a possibility because that’s where the league was founded at the old Windsor Hotel on Nov. 26, 1917.

To keep it positive, Senators owner, Eugene Melnyk, and Ottawa Mayor, Jim Watson, have reportedly discussed having the team host the game at TD Place, home of the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks. There are still major hurdles if this is going to take place and those are what the Senators will have to work through with an estimated deadline of mid-January to determine whether this will definitely happen.

Oddly enough, Ottawa and Montreal are the only Canadian teams who have yet to host an outdoor game. However, it would be surprising if Ottawa has been completely ruled out because the city was the site of the NHL’s first game on Dec. 19, 1917, between the Senators and the Habs. By the way, Montreal won that one 7-4.